Barnsley Council to showcase borough's growth and investable opportunities at UKREiiF 2026

Barnsley Council will join the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and other local authority partners from the region at the three-day UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) at the Royal Armouries in Leeds next month. 

UKREiiF brings together the public sector alongside government representatives, investors, funders, developers, housebuilders and more. 

This year's event will be held from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 May 2026 where senior council staff will be in attendance to speak to potential investors about the opportunities available in the borough, aiming to attract inward investment and generate economic growth. 

Our sessions will be held in the South Yorkshire Pavilion. 

Session 1:
Invest in Barnsley – the Place of Possibilities
Tuesday 19 May, 11am to 11.45am
We've built strong investment foundations through major regeneration, digital innovation, and a bold vision for inclusive economic growth. We're leading on healthcare and employment innovation with Health on the High Street and Pathways to Work, and our status as the UK's first Tech Town means there's more to come. 

Session 2:
Barnsley - The UK's first Tech Town
Wednesday 20 May, 1pm to 1.45pm
Barnsley has been named the UK's first Tech Town, building on two decades of digital ambition and putting us at the forefront of the AI revolution. Driven by The Seam Digital Campus and plans for a National Centre for Digital Technologies, we want to become the UK's leading digital town. 

Matt O'Neill, Executive Director for Growth and Sustainability, said: "We're looking forward to being able to showcase what Barnsley has to offer at UKREiiF next month. 

"We've taken significant strides forward on several fronts in the past 12 months. We've been named the UK's first Tech Town and opened phase one of The Seam Digital Campus, which allows us to move onto our ambitious phase two plans including the National Centre for Digital Technologies, a high-quality hotel and a third Digital Media Centre. Those plans will, in turn, help us in our aim to be the UK's leading digital town - one of the three key missions in our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy. 

"Our Health on the High Street initiative, meanwhile, has welcomed its first patients in Ophthalmology, Optometry and Retinal Screening with Dermatology, Rheumatology and Orthotics also transferring from the hospital later this month as we continue to bring more accessible and convenient health and wellbeing services to thousands of residents. 

"We also have several key strategic investment sites and opportunities available within the borough - including Linkway in Goldthorpe and Elsecar Heritage Centre as well as Junctions 36 and 37 - with three million square feet of industrial and commercial land with planning-seeking occupiers which we would love to speak to potential investors about. 

"Our track record in being bold and innovative has delivered some fantastic results and gives us an intriguing story to tell but we must continue to drive positive change and secure strategic investment to grow our economy and help all our communities to thrive, another one of our key missions for inclusive economic growth." 

For more information about UKREiiF, go to 2026.ukreiif.com. 

To arrange a meeting with our representatives at UKREiiF, or for more information about available investable opportunities, please contact investment@barnsley.gov.uk.